This started out as a right hand exercise for rotation with a supported thumb–all the right hand is just thumb and pinky for most of it, though I did use other fingers towards the end. The second half was just playing around with counterpoint, which I really enjoyed. I tried to make the last resolution soft but audible; if this were a real (e.g. edited) recording, I’d probably mess with the volume to make it clear.

A report on an informal house concert; why it’s hard to practice on vacation; last 10/7 before it goes on the shelf for a few weeks; early days in 10/11; the scariest measure in 10/10; beginning 10/8, and finding it strangely familiar.

Part of a “before” version of 10/10, including a momentary foray into theory geekdom; a slightly improved version of 10/11; just the sixteenths of 10/2; the danger in 25/12; a new strategy for 10/7; a quote from Schumann; why I find these etudes so challenging; cheating on Chopin with Mozart and Haydn.

The last 10/4 for a while; some good practice ideas for 10/2, and a realization about one reason I’ve been having trouble with it; finding out how well the Cortot exercise worked for 10/7; strange melodies in 25/12; some thoughts about memory and plateaus, which reminded me of a podcast I love; a reminder that the perfect is the enemy of the good.

The effects of sleep deprivation on effective practice; the six measures I hate the most in 10/1; a before version of 10/4; some slight improvements in 10/5 and 10/6; and a fun research task for the week ahead.

The black key etude from memory, with just a little bit of screaming; musical memory as a map; a “jazzy” skeleton version of 10/6; whining about my small hands in 10/1 and 10/9; starting 10/4 and 10/7.